


Reunion

by fuzipenguin



Series: Half Your Age +7 [35]
Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Friendship/Love, M/M, Multi, Older!Twins, Other, Reunions, Spark Sexual Interfacing (Transformers), Twincest, younger!ratchet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:55:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25088788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuzipenguin/pseuds/fuzipenguin
Summary: "Primus. Sunstreaker was here. He was really here."
Relationships: Sideswipe/Sunstreaker (Transformers)
Series: Half Your Age +7 [35]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1142771
Comments: 28
Kudos: 108





	Reunion

Sideswipe bolted.

One moment he was standing by Ratchet’s side, fidgeting in place, and the next… he was halfway across the landing pad.

When Ratchet caught a flash of gold in the doorway of the shuttle, Ratchet understood why. Or maybe he didn’t, not really. He wanted to greet Sunstreaker as well, but not so much that he blindly ran into other mechs between him and the ship and nearly bowled over a minibot who was coming down the ramp before Sunstreaker.

Nor did Ratchet feel the need to tackle Sunstreaker and knock him completely off the ramp.

By the time Ratchet made his way over, the twins had picked themselves up and were dusting themselves off, Sunstreaker’s voice raised in ire. When Ratchet got close enough to pick out individual words, he realized that a lot of that anger masked honest concern.

Although it had never been outright discussed, it had been obvious to anyone who knew Sideswipe that he had had a difficult time with depression while separated from his twin. He kept himself fit and allowed Ratchet medical care, but he never had been able to seem to keep up his outward appearance. He was constantly scratched and dented, his bright crimson reduced to a grimy red.

In comparison, Sunstreaker was immaculate, shinier than Ratchet remembered him being. It was almost as if Sunstreaker had done the opposite of his brother and had drowned his unhappiness in cleanliness. Ratchet assumed misery on Sunstreaker’s part of course, but he knew the twins’ love for one another ran deep. It made sense that Sunstreaker had suffered his brother’s absence as much as Sideswipe had.

Sunstreaker’s sharp gaze caught sight of Ratchet’s approach and he froze for a microsecond before gesturing at his brother. “You couldn’t hold him down every once in a while and at least rinse him off?! He’s a disgrace!”

“Have _you_ ever tried holding him down and rinsing him off? It’s not easy,” Ratchet replied, coming to a stop and folding his arms over his chest. It helped hide the fine trembling of his hands.

Primus. Sunstreaker was here. He was really here.

Sunstreaker opened his mouth and then snapped it shut, nodding once. “You’re right. It _is_ sort of a learned skill.”

“Oh, frag you both!” Sideswipe chirped cheerfully. “You can wash me up all you’d like after you get settled into our quarters. I threw my roommate out this morning when we got final confirmation of the convoy’s approach.”

“You know… I forgot you even _had_ a roommate,” Ratchet admitted. It was hard to remember when Sideswipe spent most of his off shifts curled up next to either Ratchet or Wheeljack. The only time Sideswipe went to his official quarters was to retrieve one of his stashed weapons. Or high grade.

“Awww… you and ‘Jack were the best roomies I ever had,” Sideswipe cooed, reaching out and gently flicking Ratchet’s chevron.

Sunstreaker glanced from Ratchet to his twin and then back again, optics squinting in consideration. Ratchet held up his hands in surrender when Sunstreaker’s gaze finally landed on Ratchet and stayed there.

“Nothing happened!” Ratchet promised, worried Sunstreaker might be upset that his twin had strayed. Despite knowing they both had flings, Ratchet thought it important that Sunstreaker knew Sideswipe hadn’t started anything with Ratchet while Sunstreaker had been absent.

“Well, at least not between you and me. ‘Jack and I hooked up once, but you know how it is, Sunny,” Sideswipe said, leaning into Sunstreaker’s side. “I know you found at least one cuddle buddy.”

“… hn.”

Sunstreaker was still staring at Ratchet. Had he really missed this particular quirk of Sunstreaker’s? Surely not.

“It’s good to see you, Ratchet,” Sunstreaker said, almost formally. “We were worried about you.”

“Same to you, Sunstreaker,” Ratchet replied, fighting to keep his voice even.

“He thought we were dead.”

Sunstreaker’s head whipped around and he stared at his twin before gazing back at Ratchet, looking stricken.

Ratchet ducked his head, the tip of one pede scuffing at the decking. “There was a casualty report from Uraya with Sideswipe’s name on it. I thought… well, it ended up being wrong! And here you are. Both of you, together.”

His smile was tremulous and Sunstreaker didn’t look one bit fooled. He slowly peeled away from Sideswipe and approached Ratchet, placing his hands on his shoulders.

“I’m sorry. I wish we could have gotten word to you periodically.”

“It’s war,” Ratchet replied nonchalantly, although internally he felt anything but. “At least I met up with Sideswipe and found out differently.”

Sunstreaker glanced over his shoulder at his twin and looked back at Ratchet. He studied him for a long moment before sliding his arms around Ratchet and gently pulling him into an embrace.

“Thank you,” Sunstreaker said softly. “Thank you for keeping him sane. Somehow he manages to do worse without me than I do without him.”

Ratchet was frozen, blinking at Sunstreaker’s shoulder for several seconds. Then he uncrossed his arms and threaded them around Sunstreaker’s waist, soaking up the scent of expansive wax and polish. His engine hiccupped a little and he suddenly squeezed Sunstreaker tight, ignoring his sound of surprise.

“Don’t get separated from him again,” Ratchet whispered fiercely. “Don’t make me watch him wither away like he did… and don’t make me worry about you even more than normal.”

Sunstreaker stiffened for a frightening moment and then he sagged against Ratchet, much like the way Sideswipe had when they had reunited. Just like then, Ratchet spread his feet a little and stalwartly absorbed the extra weight.

“… ok,” Sunstreaker said faintly. They stayed that way for several seconds until Sideswipe pressed in against their sides.

“Hey, so, normally, I’d be all for watching you two hug and whatnot, but Cuteness… you need to let go of my brother so I can pull him behind those boxes over there and merge with him,” Sideswipe said, voice urgent.

Sunstreaker broke away from Ratchet with an exasperated sigh, shaking his head at Sideswipe. “We can wait until later when we get to our room.”

Sideswipe stared at his brother, optics a little wide. He slowly tilted his head to the side and raised an orbital ridge while Ratchet looked on, amused.

The amusement died a sudden death when Sunstreaker nodded and grabbed Sideswipe’s arm, both of them moving away in unison. “Ok, yeah, no, you’re right, it can’t wait. Ratchet, will you keep a look out?”

“Will I do what now?!”

\--

He had gained the rank of assistant CMO for this base, but he’d never used that rank outside of the Bay before today.

Ratchet had to steer two very confused mechs away from the twins’ corner, stating a possible contagion that he needed to investigate once an assistant brought him some tools. He didn’t like lying but he liked the idea of some random stranger spying the twins’ sparks even less. Of course, if the twins could have just waited…

Once he heard the pitiful, quiet little whimper from behind the stacks of supplies, Ratchet decided, what did he know? He didn’t have a spark split twin; he had no idea what kind of physical discomfort they had been in while apart. His multiple scans of Sideswipe showed a wildly arrhythmic spark beat, but Sideswipe had never admitted to being in actual pain.

But the way even the more level-headed Sunstreaker had acquiesced made Ratchet wonder.

After that small noise, the twins were suspiciously quiet. It made Ratchet antsy. He’d never merged before although he knew on average, the normal length of spark merges. But he didn’t know if that applied to twins. He had no idea if they’d be knocked out for a while, or if they would stroll out from behind the boxes any second.

Oh, Primus, he hoped they stayed quiet. He had no idea how he’d explain what the two of them were doing in that corner. In public.

Just when he was about to comm one of them, he heard a scuffling sound, and then pedesteps behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Sideswipe and Sunstreaker making their way around the corner of the boxes. Sideswipe was leaning heavily on his brother.

“Feel better?” Ratchet asked, optics critically assessing them. He didn’t see any outward causes for concern. If anything, they both looked much more relaxed. Facial stress lines that Ratchet hadn’t even realized Sideswipe had developed were now completely gone.

“Mmm… better,” Sideswipe purred, stumbling a little. He leaned harder against Sunstreaker. “Woulda been best if it had been a deep merge,” he said, looking up at his brother reproachfully.

“No deep merges unless we’re off duty and behind locked doors. You know that puts us out of commission for hours,” Sunstreaker retorted. He nodded at Ratchet. “Thanks for keeping everyone away.”

“You can control the depth of your spark merges?” Ratchet asked, curious. And also a little amazed that a ‘deep merge’ could take hours.

Sunstreaker nodded. “Bare sparks versus crystals only. Sides… I gotta go report in.”

Sideswipe whined, tugging at Sunstreaker. “Nooooo! You just got here… I wanna frag you through the berth!”

“It’ll have to wait,” Sunstreaker said, trying to pry Sideswipe’s fingers off his armor. “I have to be cleared by medical and meet the unit leader. The convey leader has been pinging me for the past ten minutes wondering where I went.”

“What? He didn’t see you get tackled as you came off the ship?” Ratchet asked, grinning a little.

“He was on the first one,” Sunstreaker explained. “Missed that whole show, fortunately. Sides… Sideswipe, come on…let go… ”

“No! I missed you!” Sideswipe cried. “My spike missed you… my valve missed you… every bit of me missed every bit of you. What about just a quickie? Ratchet could play look-out again!”

“Absolutely not!” Ratchet exclaimed, backing up a step in alarm.

“Don’t you love me?” Sideswipe asked, ignoring Ratchet. He looked up at Sunstreaker though turbopuppy optics and for a second Sunstreaker looked like he was actually considering it. Fortunately, he shook himself out of it.

“You know I love you. And you know I missed you. But with our records, we have to do as much as we can by the books,” Sunstreaker replied, running a hand over the back of Sideswipe’s helm soothingly. Sideswipe closed his optics in bliss, and his engine started purring louder. “Why don’t you spend some time with Ratchet? I assume you’re off shift, right?”

As Ratchet nodded, Sideswipe opened his optics and dazedly stared at Ratchet for a long moment before his face lit up. “Ratchet! Have I told you how much I love you and your cute little chevron?”

He pushed himself off Sunstreaker and then wobbled over. Sideswipe then proceeded to wrap himself around Ratchet’s body, nuzzling at the side of Ratchet’s neck. Ratchet froze, looking at Sunstreaker for assistance.

Sunstreaker cringed and started backing away.

“Sorry,” Sunstreaker said guiltily. “If we merge after we’ve been separated for a while he gets a little weird. He’ll be pretty easy-going… just… cuddly.”

“Are you sure you two didn’t take some high-grade while you were back there?” Ratchet asked, gingerly trying to slide Sideswipe’s grip up a little higher from Ratchet’s aft. “He seems drunk.”

Sideswipe burst into giggles and snorted into Ratchet’s shoulder. “I’m looooove drunk!”

“Sunstreaker, you can’t leave him here with me like this,” Ratchet protested, but Sunstreaker shook his head.

“I have to,” he said, actually looking apologetic. “Trust me, I’d rather be with him than with my unit commander. I shouldn’t be more than an hour or so. Sides – be good for Ratchet, all right?”

Sideswipe nodded, licking at a random spot on Ratchet’s upper arm for no known reason. He immediately abandoned it to wiggle closer and squeeze Ratchet so hard his armor creaked. “I’ll treat him real good. Find me soon though, Sunshine. Or I’m gonna start without you!”

Sunstreaker nodded and bounded off, leaving Ratchet stuck with an octoleech masquerading as a mech. Sideswipe was humming now, swaying back and forth as if dancing in his head.

Not for the first time (or the hundredth, concerning the twins), he wondered what he had done in a past life to deserve this.

“Sideswipe, I think it’s best we head back to my room,” Ratchet said, sighing. He shifted his weight and Sideswipe reluctantly released him, only to grab at Ratchet’s hand, interlocking their fingers.

“So I don’t get lost,” Sideswipe said with a wink.

“You know the way to my room,” Ratchet pointed out. Sideswipe followed him easily enough, swinging their arms back and forth. Every other step was a bouncy little skip which was honestly pretty adorable. Especially for a hardened warrior millennia older than Ratchet.

Sideswipe shrugged. “I know the way to lots of people’s rooms,” he said matter of factly. “What makes yours so special? Oh! I know! It has you in it!” He giggled again, swaying close enough to press his shoulder against Ratchet’s.

By now they had gotten odd looks from every mech they had passed. A few whispered to the others they were walking with. Ratchet honestly doubted any of them even knew who he was, nor had he ever particularly cared what others thought of him, so he ignored them all.

“Well, it sounds like pretty soon you’ll be in your own room with Sunstreaker,” Ratchet said.

Sideswipe sighed dreamily, leaning against Ratchet as they walked. “I swear to Primus he looks ten times better than the last time I saw him. Definitely a new wax, I could tell. I can’t wait to taste it. I’m gonna lick every inch of him… his hands, his neck, his thighs… oh, his thighs… they’re gonna be wrapped around my shoulders by the end of the night, I can promise you that, Cuteness.”

Ratchet blinked and stared straight ahead in a sort of embarrassed-intrigued mix of emotions. “I’d rather you didn’t. I’d rather you not tell me what you’ll be doing at all, actually.”

“You could watch instead if you wanted,” Sideswipe offered. “Sunny gets off on that.”

“Sideswipe!!”

Ratchet paused in the middle of the hallway and turned to stare incredulously at his companion. “Don’t… you…”

“What?” Sideswipe looked, for once, honestly innocent. “He does.”

Ratchet shook his head and tugged on Sideswipe’s hand, urging him forward. “Maybe you don’t remember our conversation this morning? About the two of you canoodling for a few days and then finding me to have a talk? Nowhere in all of that did either of us mention anything about me becoming a voyeur!”

Sideswipe sighed, rolling his optics. “Fine. It was just a thought. Sometimes actions speak louder than words.”

“And an actual conversation lends clarity to actions,” Ratchet reported, stopping in front of his quarters. Sideswipe was so distracted that he took a step or two beyond the door before being snapped back by Ratchet’s outstretched arm.

Giving him a sheepish look, Sideswipe pushed past Ratchet once he got the door open and ran across the room. He jumped onto the bed and immediately rolled himself up in the blanket. Fortunately, Wheeljack had already left for his shift.

“C’mon in, the blankets are fine!” Sideswipe called out.

“It feels a little inappropriate to crawl into bed with you when your twin has just arrived on base,” Ratchet replied, looking around his room in search of something to occupy them both.

“Nothing inappropriate! A nap!” Sideswipe said, looking offended. “I know you stayed up all night for me and I’m sure you’re tired. C’mon, Sweets. Last chance you get before we disappear behind a locked door for a few days.”

Well. That was true. And while recharging with Sideswipe had always been platonic, the concept of sleeping with both twins felt a little more romantic. Ratchet still didn’t know how their conversation would go. Maybe this would be the last opportunity Ratchet would have to be close to either of them.

“All right. Sit up and let me in,” Ratchet said with a resigned sigh. Sideswipe gave a little whoop and did as instructed, Ratchet sliding onto the bed with a practiced ease. They slotted together with a familiarity that honestly scared Ratchet now that he thought about it.

Once they were settled Sideswipe patted the hand that Ratchet had resting on Sideswipe’s abdomen. “Things are gonna change, Ratch. Everything’s gonna be so much better now, just you wait and see.”

Well… things would certainly be changing, that was for sure.

  
~ End


End file.
